BBC Morning Live doctor's type 2 diabetes diet loved by Michael Mosley

A BBC Morning Live doctor has said that one diet could help people manage their diabetes, specifically type 2. He revealed that in the UK, around two million people have this type of diabetes.

The common condition causes the level of sugar (glucose) in the blood to become too high with the NHS stating it's caused by problems with a chemical in the body (hormone) called insulin. It is linked to being overweight, inactive, or having a family history of type 2 diabetes.

Dr Kiran Morjaria says the Mediterranean diet could help - and there's scientific proof that the diet has great benefits for our health. Speaking on the show today (November 14), the doctor said that whilst he's not an advocate for telling people that they should eat and avoid certain foods, he says that the popular Med diet "might be helpful in weight loss and blood sugar control. But that’s not a prescription to take a holiday to Greece unless I can also come," he joked.

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One viewer asked if there was an alternative to medication. The doctor said: "There are some people whose diabetes are managed with diet and lifestyle interventions alone, but for most people with type two diabetes, they are managed with medication. There isn’t really an alternative to medications and I’m talking about type two diabetes here. There are things we can do alongside medications that can be really helpful the first one is diet diet is crucial."

Stressing "it’s about having a healthy balance diet eating foods from all the food groups", the expert warned: "I wouldn’t embark on an embark a strict calorie controlled diet without discussing that with your doctor first. As well as diet exercise is also key". Urging people to do "two to two and half hours of moderate intensity activity per week" he says that this means people should "try to do regular exercise and be mindful of the amount we’re doing."

According to the late doctor, Michael Mosley, who reversed his own type two condition, he said that "there is overwhelming scientific evidence that a low carb Mediterranean-style diet — one rich in vegetables, olive oil, nuts and the occasional glass of wine or bite of dark chocolate — is better for weight loss, blood sugar control and improving cholesterol than going on a low fat diet". The author who penned the successful Fast 800 diet lost a stone-and-a-half in just 12 weeks and reversed his diabetes as a result. Speaking about her husband after his passing in June of this year, Dr Claire Bailey Mosley said: "I think reversing his own diabetes" was his proudest achievement.

She fondly recalled: "He was a choca-holic, he asked me to hide the chocolate and I'm still finding chocolate in the broom cupboard, in weird places. He said he didn't want to go onto medication until he had tried other things. One of the big things he was really proud of was to help people lose weight and reverse diabetes - which nobody thought was possible."

What are the symptoms of type 2 diabetes?

Symptoms of type 2 diabetes can include:

• peeing more than usual

• feeling thirsty all the time

• feeling very tired

• losing weight without trying to

• itching around your penis or vagina, or repeatedly getting thrush

• cuts or wounds taking longer to heal

• blurred vision

What are the risk factors of type 2 diabetes?

You're more at risk of developing type 2 diabetes if you:

• are over 40 years old, or over 25 if you're from an Asian, Black African or Black Caribbean ethnic background

• have a close relative with diabetes (such as a parent, brother or sister)

• are from an Asian, Black African or Black Caribbean ethnic background

• are overweight or living with obesity or are not very physically active

What is the Mediterranean diet?

The traditional Mediterranean diet, according to Harvard Health, is based on foods available in countries that border the Mediterranean Sea and includes:

• fish and poultry, consumed in low to moderate amounts a few times a week

• olive oil as the principal source of fat

• fresh fruit for dessert, with sweets containing added sugars or honey eaten only a few times each week

• wine consumed in low to moderate amounts, usually with meals

• cheese and yogurt, consumed daily in low to moderate amounts

• red meat, consumed infrequently and in small amounts

• an abundance of plant foods, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and legumes, which are minimally processed, seasonally fresh, and grown locally